Electric lamp cord take-up



Sept. 10, 1935. E. 1 TODD 2,014,301

' lELECTRIC LAMP CORD TAKE-UP Filed DSC. 26, 1955 9' 22 www M l, l

' invention applied to its base and the electric cord Patented Sept. 10,1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The invention relates to an' electriclamp cord take-up and more especially to a device for titting within thebase of a portable electric lamp to function asan electric cord take-up.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter, wherein a reel carrying a stud journal .is susceptible offitting within the base of a portable electric lamp, either table, flooror other style of lamp, so that the electric cord as trained through thebase can be taken up automatically or permitted to .feed therefromcorresponding to the length of said cord, thereby eliminating 'theunsightly appearance of such cord in its length being exposed 4outsideof the base and thus relieving wear upon the cord with the liability ofshort circuiting as oftentimes happens where the cord is permitted i torest upon a floor.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thischaracter, wherein the reel for the electric cord is controlled by aratchet so that such reel can be locked for permitting variation in theextent of the electric cord for thelamp when the same is fedfrom thebaseor taken up therein, the device being novel in construction andadaptable for fitting within the lamp base so that it will be concealedthereby and free from being tampered with.

A further object of the invention is the vision of a device of thischaracter which is prosim- 'ple in construction, thoroughly reliable andefflcient in its purpose, readily and easily applied to and removed fromthe vbase vof an electric lamp, strong, durable, and inexpensive tomanufacture and install.

With these and other objects in view, the in-, vention consists in thefeatures of construction,

combination and arrangement of parts as will be In the accompanyingdrawing:

Figure lis a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view through alamp support showing the device constructed in accordance with the woundupon the reel'of the device.

Figure 2 is a horizontal vsectional view through the base, showing thereel of the device partly broken away.

Figure -3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional` Awith Figure 4 is' aview similar to Figure 3, showing the automatic release of the ratchet.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through a modified form of reel.

Similar reference characters indicate corre- 5 sponding parts throughoutthe several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing-in detail, A desig- -nates generally a portionof the base of a portable electric lamp having the tubular staff or l0standard B through which is trained the electric cord for current -tothe lamp. The base is of truncated frusto-conical shape and has thehollow or chamber I Il in the lower side or bottom thereof foraccommodation of the device conl5 stituting the present invention andhereinafter fully described. i

The device comprises a reel made up of the i spaced matched upper andlower disks I I and I2,

respectively, between which and at the center 20 thereof is the hub I3,the latter, by a set screw I4, being made fast toa stud journal I5, thedisks being free of the said hub I3 and the journal I5. This journal I5is formed with the threaded end I8 so that it can be tapped into thebase A ver- 25 tically centered with the staff or standard B.

Concentrically to the hub I3 and between the disks I I and I2 is a ringmember II which is fixed to the disks by the fasteners I8 and about thisring member is coiled the electric cord C, the latter 30 being deliveredinto vand between .the disks through the opening I9, while such cord isfed from the reel and taken up thereon through a tangentially disposedoutlet 20 formed in the base A, the said outlet being capped by aninsulated 35 sleeve 2l through which said 'cord passes. It is, ofcourse, understood that the outer end of the cord is equipped with anelectric plug terminal (not shown).

superimposed upon the disk II and about the 40 stud journal I5 is acollar 22 which is made fast to the reel by being secured in anydesirable manner to the said disk II,' and in a suitable cut-outportion, as at 23, in said collar is arranged a ratchet dog 24 pivotedat 25 in said collar, the 45 dog being formed with a square-corneredbight 26 and a tapered nose extension 21, the bight 28 being adapted togravitate into one of a pair of diametrically opposed ratchet notches 29in the hub I3, each notch being confronted with la cam 50 ,face or bevel30 for coaction withthe bight 26 of the dog 24, whereby on the turningof the reel the same may be latched at intervals by the dog 24 and thelatter automatically tripped for the further turning of such reel. Thenose 21 merely 55 l serves to limit the dropping of the bight 26 intothe notch 29.

Located between the hub I3 and the ring member I1 is a coiled tensioningspring 3|, one end being fastened to the said hub and the other to thering member Il and this spring 3| functions as a Winder, it beingtensioned on the letting out of the cord C and operating to take up andwind the cord upon the reel on the release of the latter from the dog24.

It should be clearly apparent that the cord C for the lamp will beautomatically taken up or permitted to be fed outwardly at variablelengths at the option of the user of the lamp.

When disengagement of the dog 24 from the notch 29 is required it isnecessary to pull upon the cord C and then suddenly release the saidcord; on the pulling of the cord the edge a of the notch will kick uponedge b of the dog throwing the latter upwardly and by the sudden releaseof said cord this dog will be caused to trip over the notches 29 as thebevel 30 affords a riding surface for the bight 26 to prevent such bightfalling within the notches 29 under the rapid turning of the reel.

The base A at the hollow I0 has the internal shoulder 32 confronting theopen periphery of the reelin close proximity thereto so as to avoid anypossibility of the cord working oif of the reel in the voperation of thedevice.

In Figure 5 of 4the drawing there is shown a slight modification,wherein the reel includes the upper and lower spacedvparallel disks 33and 34, respectively, these concentrically with respect to their centersbeing inwardly struck to providev inset annular abutments 35 contactingwith each other and united by rivets or other fasteners 3E, therebyuniting these disks 33 and 34 with each other.

The hub 31, between the disks 33 and 34, is

made fast to the stud journal 38 and this, with the journal l5 at itsouter end, has a screw driver slot 39 for convenience in fastening thesai-d journal within the base of a lamp.

It will, of course, be understood that the cord' may be pulled outwardlyto its fullest extent and also shortened as the occasion may require andsuch cord will be held in its adjusted position.

What is claimed is:

A device of the kind described comprising a stud journal engaged withthe inner portion of the base of an electric lamp having a chamberopening through the bottom of said base, a hub removably. and adjustablysecured on said stud journal, a reel within the chamber foraccommod-ating an electric current cord for the lamp v hub for latchingaction of said reel, said chamber having a wall concentric of and closeto the outer periphery of the reel to prevent the riding off of the cordfrom said reel.

EUGENE J. TODD.

